An expendable autonomous underwater vehicle is used to train naval forces in the detection, localization, tracking, and/or attack of a submarine in a body of water (i.e., to train naval forces in anti-submarine warfare). The Expendable Mobile ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) Training Target (EMATT) is an example of such an expendable un-manned underwater vehicle available from Sippican, Inc. of Marion, Mass. After being launched into a body of water, the expendable underwater vehicle "swims" a pre-programmed underwater course as it acoustically simulates a submarine. The naval forces use acoustics to detect, localize, track, and/or attack the simulated submarine. After a specified time, currently about three hours, the internal power source of the expendable underwater vehicle becomes exhausted, and the vehicle drops to the bottom of a body of water.
It is known how to launch or deploy the expendable underwater vehicle into a body of water from either a surface ship or an aircraft. When launched by a surface ship, the expendable underwater vehicle is dropped into the water. In an aircraft launch, the expendable underwater vehicle cannot simply be dropped into the water because the impact with the water typically would damage the vehicle. Additional hardware is used in an aircraft launch to help the vehicle survive the impact with the water. The additional hardware typically is referred to collectively as an air launch assembly.
To air launch the expendable underwater vehicle, it is fitted with the air launch assembly, and then the combination typically is packaged in a sonobuoy launch container. The vehicle then can be launched from the aircraft either by using a launching tube on the aircraft that accepts the sonobuoy launch container and automatically upon command ejects the vehicle from the container, or by manually removing the vehicle from the sonobuoy launch container and dropping (launching) the unit through a launching tube or other opening in the aircraft. After the vehicle is launched from the aircraft, the air launch assembly deploys and decelerates the vehicle such that the vehicle enters the water nose-first and along its longitudinal axis.